Color Theory & Correction

Happy Monday! I have seen a lot of product launches and hulabaloo about color correction in the beauty blogosphere in the the last few months and I thought I would chime in my two cents. I don’t think most people need color correction on a day to day basis but if you are getting your picture taken or are having a flare up it’s good to have a few items in your arsenal.

Let’s look at our friend the color wheel for help. The basic idea is that if you want to cancel out one color you apply something in the opposite shade to counteract the effect.

Green cancels out pink

Violet cancels out yellow

Red cancels out Blue

9 times out of 10 most people are trying to cover up a blemish, redness from broken capellalaries or dark circles under their eyes. So to cover up redness from a blemish you would want to use a color corrector with a green or yellow base. To cover up dark circles (and it depends how dark they are) you would want to use something red or yellow based. Actually I have found that with my a pale skin, a concealer that is peach toned, which is a combination of red and yellow tones, works best for me.

If complexion issues plague you, I have the cure. Last year I bought the Coastal Scents Eclipse palette that seemed like overkill at first but has turned out to be awesome. I reach for it all the time. The Eclipse palette consists of 15 creamy concealers that include every skin tone shade plus it has green, yellow, pink correctors AND a highlighter. This palette has been great because throughout the year your skin tone changes – In the summer I am darker and in winter I get super pale and then all the variations in between. You can mix these colors up so you get the perfect color match for your skin. I also use the darker tones included in the palette to contour my cheekbones and nose (slightly of course). You can find the Eclipse Palette online at Coastal Scents for $14.95 http://www.coastalscents.com or on Amazon.com.